Exodus 15:22
New International Version
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.

New Living Translation
Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the desert of Shur. They traveled in this desert for three days without finding any water.

English Standard Version
Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. For three days they walked in the desert without finding water.

King James Bible
So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

New King James Version
So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

New American Standard Bible
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

NASB 1995
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

NASB 1977
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Moses had Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water.

Amplified Bible
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went into the Wilderness of Shur; they went [a distance of] three days (about thirty-three miles) in the wilderness and found no water.

Christian Standard Bible
Then Moses led Israel on from the Red Sea, and they went out to the Wilderness of Shur. They journeyed for three days in the wilderness without finding water.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then Moses led Israel on from the Red Sea, and they went out to the Wilderness of Shur. They journeyed for three days in the wilderness without finding water.

American Standard Version
And Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

Contemporary English Version
After the Israelites left the Red Sea, Moses led them through the Shur Desert for three days, before finding water.

English Revised Version
And Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Moses led Israel away from the Red Sea into the desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.

Good News Translation
Then Moses led the people of Israel away from the Red Sea into the desert of Shur. For three days they walked through the desert, but found no water.

International Standard Version
Then Moses led Israel from the Reed Sea and they went to the desert of Shur. They traveled into the desert for three days and did not find water.

Majority Standard Bible
Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. For three days they walked in the desert without finding water.

NET Bible
Then Moses led Israel to journey away from the Red Sea. They went out to the Desert of Shur, walked for three days into the desert, and found no water.

New Heart English Bible
Moses led Israel onward from the Sea at the End, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

Webster's Bible Translation
So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

World English Bible
Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Moses causes Israel to journey from the Red Sea, and they go out to the wilderness of Shur, and they go three days in the wilderness, and have not found water,

Young's Literal Translation
And Moses causeth Israel to journey from the Red Sea, and they go out unto the wilderness of Shur, and they go three days in the wilderness, and have not found water,

Smith's Literal Translation
And Moses will remove Israel from the sea of sedge, and they will come forth to the desert of Shur; and they will go three days into the desert, and they found not water.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went forth into the wilderness of Sur: and they marched three days through the wilderness, and found no water.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Then Moses took Israel from the Red Sea, and they went forth into the desert of Shur. And they wandered for three days through the wilderness, and they found no water.

New American Bible
Then Moses led Israel forward from the Red Sea, and they marched out to the wilderness of Shur. After traveling for three days through the wilderness without finding water,

New Revised Standard Version
Then Moses ordered Israel to set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shud; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Moshe moved them of the house of Israel from The Sea of Reeds and they went out to the wilderness of Shood, and they came three days’ journey in the wilderness and they did not find water.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
So Moses brought up the children of Israel from the Red Sea, and brought them into the wilderness of Sur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water to drink.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Waters of Marah
22Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. For three days they walked in the desert without finding water. 23And when they came to Marah, they could not drink the water there because it was bitter. (That is why it was named Marah.)…

Cross References
Numbers 33:8
They set out from Pi-hahiroth and crossed through the sea, into the wilderness, and they journeyed three days into the Wilderness of Etham and camped at Marah.

Exodus 17:1-7
Then the whole congregation of Israel left the Desert of Sin, moving from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. / So the people contended with Moses, “Give us water to drink.” “Why do you contend with me?” Moses replied. “Why do you test the LORD?” / But the people thirsted for water there, and they grumbled against Moses: “Why have you brought us out of Egypt—to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?” ...

Numbers 20:2-13
Now there was no water for the congregation, so they gathered against Moses and Aaron. / The people quarreled with Moses and said, “If only we had perished with our brothers before the LORD! / Why have you brought the LORD’s assembly into this wilderness for us and our livestock to die here? ...

Deuteronomy 8:2-3
Remember that these forty years the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments. / He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known, so that you might understand that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Psalm 78:15-16
He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas. / He brought streams from the stone and made water flow down like rivers.

Psalm 106:13-14
Yet they soon forgot His works and failed to wait for His counsel. / They craved intensely in the wilderness and tested God in the desert.

Nehemiah 9:15
In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land that You had sworn to give them.

Isaiah 48:21
They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He made water flow for them from the rock; He split the rock, and water gushed out.

Jeremiah 2:6
They did not ask, ‘Where is the LORD who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and pits, a land of drought and darkness, a land where no one travels and no one lives?’

1 Corinthians 10:1-4
I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. / They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. / They all ate the same spiritual food ...

Hebrews 3:7-9
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, / do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, / where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works.

John 4:13-14
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. / But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life.”

Revelation 7:16-17
‘Never again will they hunger, and never will they thirst; nor will the sun beat down upon them, nor any scorching heat.’ / For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd. ‘He will lead them to springs of living water,’ and ‘God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’”

Matthew 4:1-4
Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. / After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. / The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” ...

John 6:31-35
Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” / Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. / For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ...


Treasury of Scripture

So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

wilderness of Shur.

Genesis 16:7
And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur.

Genesis 25:18
And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria: and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

1 Samuel 15:7
And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, that is over against Egypt.

three days

Exodus 3:18
And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

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Causeth Desert Finding Forward Found Israel Journey Led Moses Onward Red Sea Shur Three Traveled Waste Water Wilderness
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Causeth Desert Finding Forward Found Israel Journey Led Moses Onward Red Sea Shur Three Traveled Waste Water Wilderness
Exodus 15
1. The song of Moses, Miriam, and Israel on their deliverance
22. The people want water in the desert
23. The waters at Marah are bitter,
24. they murmur,
25. Moses prays, and sweetens the waters by God's direction
27. They encamp at Elim, where are twelve wells, and seventy palm trees














Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea
This phrase marks a significant transition in the journey of the Israelites. The Hebrew root for "led" is "nahag," which implies guidance and leadership. Moses, as a divinely appointed leader, is guiding the Israelites away from their miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea, a pivotal moment of God's intervention. Historically, this event is a cornerstone of Israel's identity, symbolizing God's power and faithfulness. The Red Sea crossing is often seen as a baptism of sorts, a passage from slavery to freedom, and Moses is the shepherd leading his flock into a new phase of their journey.

and they went into the Desert of Shur
The "Desert of Shur" is a geographical area that lies to the northeast of Egypt. The Hebrew word "Shur" can mean "wall," suggesting a boundary or a place of protection. This desert represents a place of testing and reliance on God. In the biblical narrative, deserts are often places where God tests and refines His people, stripping away reliance on worldly comforts and teaching them to depend solely on Him. The journey into the desert is a step of faith, moving from the known into the unknown, trusting in God's provision and guidance.

For three days they walked in the desert
The number "three" in biblical terms often signifies completeness or divine perfection. The Israelites' "three days" journey without finding water is a test of faith and endurance. In the Hebrew mindset, numbers carry symbolic weight, and this period can be seen as a complete cycle of testing. The desert, a harsh and unforgiving environment, serves as a backdrop for God to demonstrate His sustaining power. This journey is a microcosm of the larger wilderness experience, where God shapes and molds His people through trials.

without finding water
Water, in the biblical context, is a symbol of life and sustenance. The absence of water in the desert highlights the Israelites' vulnerability and their dependence on God for survival. In the Hebrew Scriptures, water is often associated with spiritual renewal and divine provision. The lack of water is a test of faith, challenging the Israelites to trust in God's ability to provide for their needs. This situation foreshadows future instances where God miraculously provides water, reinforcing His role as the ultimate provider and sustainer.

THE JOURNEY FROM THE RED SEA TO ELIM.

(22) So Moses brought Israel.--Rather, And Moses brought Israel. The regular narrative is here resumed from Exodus 14:31, and the Israelites are brought two stages upon their journey towards Sinai (Exodus 3:12)--first to Marah (Exodus 15:23), and next to Elim (Exodus 15:27). It is uncertain at what exact point of the coast they emerged from the sea-bed, but it can scarcely have been at any great distance from the modern Suez. The "springs of Moses," Ayun Musa, which are about seven miles from Suez, may well have been the halting-place where the "Song" was composed and sung. At this spot there is considerable vegetation, and a number of wells, variously reckoned at seven, seventeen, and nineteen.

The wilderness of Shur is the arid tract extending from Lake Serbonis on the north to Ain Howarah towards the south. It seems to have been called also "the wilderness of Etham" (Numbers 33:8). The Israelites traversed only the southern portion, which is an actual desert, treeless, waterless, and, except in the early spring, destitute of herbage. . . .

Verses 22-27. - THE JOURNEY FROM THE RED SEA TO ELIM. After a stay, which cannot be exactly measured, but which was probably one of some days, near the point of the Eastern coast of the Gulf of Suez, at which they had emerged from the sea-bed, the Israelites, under the guidance of the pillar of the cloud, resumed their journey, and were conducted southwards, or south-eastwards, through the arid tract, called indifferently "the wilderness of Shut" (verse 22), and "the wilderness of Etham" (Numbers 33:8), to a place called Marah. It is generally supposed that the first halt must have been at Ayun Musa, or "the springs of Moses." This is "the only green spot near the passage over the Red Sea" (Cook). It possesses at present seventeen wells, and is an oasis of grass and tamarisk in the midst of a sandy desert. When Wellsted visited it in 1836, there were abundant palm-trees. It does not lie on the shore, but at the distance of about a mile and a half from the beach, with which it was at one time connected by an aqueduct, built for the convenience of the ships, which here took in their water. The water is regarded as good and wholesome, though dark-coloured and somewhat brackish. From Ayun Musa the Israelites pursued their way in a direction a little east of south through a barren plain where sand-storms are frequent - part of the wilderness of Shur - for three days without finding water. Here their flocks and herds must have suffered greatly, and many of the animals probably died on the journey. On the last of the three days water was found at a spot called thenceforth "Marah," "bitterness," because the liquid was undrinkable. After the miracle related in ver. 25, and an encampment by the side of the sweetened spring (Numbers 33:8), they proceeded onward without much change of direction to Elim, where was abundance of good water and a grove of seventy palm-trees. Here "they encamped by the waters," and were allowed a rest, which probably exceeded a fortnight (See the comment on Exodus 16:1.) Verse 22. - So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea. There is no such connection between this verse and the preceding narrative as the word "so" expresses. Translate "And Moses brought." The wilderness of Shur, called also that of Etham (Numbers 33.8) appears to have extended from Lake Serbonis on the north, across the isthmus, to the Red Sea, and along its eastern shores as far as the Wady Ghurundel. It is almost wholly waterless; and towards the south, such wells as exist yield a water that is bitter in the extreme. Three days. The distance from Ayun Musa to Ain Howarah, the supposed representative of Marah, is not more than about 36 miles; but the day's march of so large a multitude through the desert may not have averaged more than twelve miles. And found no water. No doubt the Israelites carried with them upon the backs of their asses water in skins, sufficient for their earn wants during such an interval; but they can scarcely have carried enough for their cattle. These must have suffered greatly.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Then Moses
מֹשֶׁ֤ה (mō·šeh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 4872: Moses -- a great Israelite leader, prophet and lawgiver

led
וַיַּסַּ֨ע (way·yas·sa‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5265: To pull up, the tent-pins, start on a, journey

Israel
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

from the Red
ס֔וּף (sūp̄)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5488: A reed, the papyrus

Sea,
מִיַּם־ (mî·yam-)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3220: A sea, the Mediterranean Sea, large river, an artifical basin

and they went out
וַיֵּצְא֖וּ (way·yê·ṣə·’ū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3318: To go, bring, out, direct and proxim

into
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the Desert
מִדְבַּר־ (miḏ·bar-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

of Shur.
שׁ֑וּר (šūr)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 7793: Shur -- a desert region Southwest of Palestine on eastern border of Egypt

For three
שְׁלֹֽשֶׁת־ (šə·lō·šeṯ-)
Number - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7969: Three, third, thrice

days
יָמִ֛ים (yā·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

they walked
וַיֵּלְכ֧וּ (way·yê·lə·ḵū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

in the desert
בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר (bam·miḏ·bār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

without
וְלֹא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

finding
מָ֥צְאוּ (mā·ṣə·’ū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

water.
מָֽיִם׃ (mā·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen


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OT Law: Exodus 15:22 Moses led Israel onward from the Red (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 15:21
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